The Power to Overcome Time
by Sylindara
Summary: Even if they don't remember, their fates are etched into their souls. Written for OTP Battle on basketballpoetsociety Tumblr
1. The Tree Reaching for The Moon

It was the boy again. Izuki had first met the boy on a cool spring morning, with the wind rustling through the branches of the cherry tree Izuki was tucked up against. He was just there for a quick rest, his back against the trunk and his wings spread wide so they weren't crushed by his weight. That was when a young boy had called out to him from the bottom of the tree.

"Why do you have wings?"

Izuki hadn't been expecting it; he hadn't heard anything about someone being able to see youkai in this area. Which was why he had been so surprised he fell right out of the tree, ending in a heap at the boy's feet.

Izuki didn't know who had been more shocked, the boy or himself.

"Are those wings fake? Can't you fly?"

"Of course I can! You just surprised me, that's all," Izuki had said indignantly. "I'm a tengu, of course I can fly."

"Don't be silly, tengu aren't real. They're just stories to frighten children," the boy said self-assuredly.

"What do you think these wings are for then?" Izuki had replied, spreading his wings out wide and trying to look intimidating.

"Well, I guess you would know best," the boy said doubtfully, "so youkai are real then?"

"Yes," Izuki said, "we're real. Most people can't see us. So you are actually someone very special to be able to do so."

It had not been the most auspicious of first meetings, but Izuki ended up spending the whole day with the boy. He taught him about the world of the youkai, all the different types and how best to deal with each one. The boy had been surprisingly easy to talk to; he had a friendly manner even if sometimes it felt like he wasn't all there. It was dark by the time they parted ways, and also the last time Izuki had seen him. When he had come back the next day he found the village in uproar over the death of an elderly couple; their grandson, the only other person living with them, had been sent off to a monastery.

But now the boy was here in front of him again, though he was a boy no longer. The passage of time was cruel in the Human Realm, what had been a child still growing into his long limbs and big feet was – in the blink of an eye – now a confident man in the prime of his youth, broad shoulders bracketing strong arms that ended in a pair of huge hands wrapped loosely around a monk's staff. Everything about him was big now; Izuki could tell just by looking that now he would be the one who had to tip his head back to look him in the eyes.

"Hello again, Izuki. Do you remember me? Kiyoshi Teppei. We met once a very long time ago," he said, "I'm sorry this isn't a social call."

"I remember you. I see you have become a monk," Izuki said, "Why are you here?"

"I am here to find the tengu named Takao. He stole away the young doctor of the nearby village. I am here to get him back."

"I know you," Izuki said, ignoring Kiyoshi's words. "You are the monk 'Iron Heart', the youkai killer."

"Only the ones that were harming humans," Kiyoshi said pleadingly. "I don't kill indiscriminately."

"In that case, there is nothing for you here. Takao has harmed no humans, nor stolen any away. He has taken the doctor for his bride, with full permission from the doctor himself. You must leave. While Midorima has permission to be here whilst being a human, you do not."

"I'm glad to know that Midorima isn't here against his will, but I must still ask you to stand aside. I understand why he chose to come here, but in such remote areas a village without a doctor is a death sentence. He must go back."

"You have changed," was all Izuki said, taking up a ready stance in front of gate that led up to the peak of Tengu Mountain. "If you must go through then you must kill me first."

"I just want to protect people," Kiyoshi said beseechingly, "the village can't survive without him."

Izuki did not bother to reply, swiping his fan in front of him and sending a great gust of wind right into Kiyoshi's face.

Kiyoshi responded by striking the butt of his staff into the ground, the sharp ringing dividing the wind right before it reached him. He chanted as he did so, and Izuki found himself suddenly bound by the metaphorical chains from Kiyoshi's Buddhist chant.

Izuki did not struggle against the chains; he knew he would not be able to break out that way. Instead, he waited until Kiyoshi reached him to get to the gate. The moment Kiyoshi walked past him, Izuki snapped out his wings with all his strength. There was a sharp crack as the bones of his right wing snapped but his left managed to safely break out of the chains and smack right into Kiyoshi.

Going with the momentum, Izuki pushed Kiyoshi down the side of the mountain, holding tightly onto him all the while so that he could not break his fall. The two of them flipped right over a large cliff and there was a nasty crunch from both Izuki's remaining good wing and Kiyoshi's chest when they reached the bottom.

There was blood bubbling up from between Kiyoshi's lips, and Izuki could feel his own soul coming loose from his body.

"I'm sorry it ended up like this," Kiyoshi said, it sounded like he was crying even though no tears fell. "I just wanted to protect people. If I could, then I would have liked to protect you too."

"Then perhaps, in my next life, I can be reborn into a person you can protect," Izuki said kindly, he felt quite sorry for Kiyoshi now that he could feel all worldly interests and worries sloughing away from him as his soul detached.

"I would like that," Kiyoshi said, tears finally starting to trickle down his face. "In my next life, I would like to be reborn as someone who can protect you."

* * *

"Kiyoshi, Kiyoshi! …Teppei, wake up."

Teppei could feel someone shaking his shoulders. Gingerly opening his eyes, he could see Shun hovering over him, a worried look on his face.

Still half-asleep, Teppei gently brought his hand up to Shun's face. "What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"

"You're the one crying in your sleep, I think you're the one with the bad dream," Shun replied, lightly thumbing the skin under Teppei's left eye.

Teppei scrubbed at his eyes, his hands coming away wet. "I think it was a very sad dream. But I don't think I can remember what happened in it though."

"That's alright, sometimes that happens. Your rehab has been pretty intense lately; it was bound to result in weird dreams," Shun said, lying back down next to Teppei on the futon.

"Shun, I protected everyone pretty well in our games, didn't I? I managed to protect you, right?"

"What brought this on," Shun asked, cupping Teppei's face in his hands so that they were facing each other properly. "Of course you did. And now it is our turn to protect you. So just concentrate on your rehab and on getting better, okay?"

"Alright," he said, reaching over to place a kiss on Shun's forehead. Except Teppei couldn't just stop there, so he kissed his cheeks, nose, and finally his lips too. It's been a while since they've really been together, which was probably why Shun allowed the kiss to deepen until they were fully making out, tongues twining sloppily together.

"We should stop. Your grandparents are still sleeping."

"Shun, my grandma only laid out one futon tonight. They're probably sleeping in the room furthest from ours with plugs in their ears," Teppei said as gently as he could. It didn't work, because Shun still turned bright red and burrowed his face into Teppei's chest. But that was okay because an embarrassed Shun was cute too.

"You still have to be up early tomorrow. All those exercises that needs to be done," Shun said unconvincingly.

"I'll do them. You will make sure I do them after all," Teppei said warmly, he could feel the corners of his eyes crinkling from how widely he was smiling. "But we can just sleep now, if you like."

"Let's just get through this part of rehab first, alright?" Shun said, and then added, his face bright red, "Think of it like a reward for completing this part. Something to look forward to."

"I can do that. Goodnight Shun."

"Goodnight Kiyo- Goodnight Teppei."


	2. Hawk Flicks Its Tail in Spaces Inbetween

"Takao, you have been very distracted lately," Izuki said disapprovingly, opening and closing his fan with sharp twists of his wrist.

"Distracted? Me? Nah," Takao scoffed, "why would you say that?" Izuki wasn't the kind of person who could be dissuaded by a bit of fast talking; in fact, Izuki wasn't the kind of person who could be dissuaded at all once he's decided there's something going on. Which meant there was no point in seriously trying to pull one over him, ridiculing his suspicions worked just as well as a delaying tactic as anything else.

"Oh really."

Takao said, "Hey look, I think the Elder's looking for you. Gotta dash!"

Giving a big flap of his wings, Takao took off down the mountain before Izuki had a chance to stop him. It really was just his luck that Izuki would take today to try and grill him; maybe Shin-chan was on to something with his astrology thing. In any case, everything came down to Shin-chan as usual. If Shin-chan said yes, then Izuki's suspicions didn't matter because everyone would know everything soon enough.

But it all depended on Shin-chan saying yes.

Trying to tip the scales in his favour, Takao made a detour to a tiny valley down the side of the mountain first – a bouquet of Shin-chan's favourite flowers would surely help his case.

Sitting casually in the large pine tree that was their usual meeting spot just outside the village, Takao waited for Shin-chan to show. He was a little late – a big deal since Shin-chan always arrived early to anything if he could help it – but Shin-chan's imprint on his soul told Takao that he was safe and sound.

"Takao! Takao, I'm sorry. The servants saw the feathers you gave me, I don't understand how. The villagers are starting to suspect something." And there was Shin-chan, looking a bit less put together than he normally did.

Takao smiled. "That's because you are pulling me into your world, I am starting to become real to the human realm."

"That…must be very inconvenient. I apologise. Unfortunately, I do not know how to stop this," Shin-chan said, looking terribly distressed. It made Takao want to tease him more – but now wasn't the time for that.

"There is another way. You could come with me." Takao paused, gauging Shin-chan's mood. "Come to my world instead, the other tengu will welcome you."

"Takao, I am a doctor. They need me," Shin-chan said unconvincingly.

"I need you too," Takao said unflinchingly, holding out the bouquet of nadeshiko in front of him.

Shin-chan blushed heavily, but accepted the flowers. "I know. I need you too."

"Will you come then?"

"…Yes, I will." Shin-chan looked away, and Takao knew he was ashamed.

* * *

"Izuki did what?" Takao looked like he was going to be sick, like he was going to cry. Shintarou could feel his own gorge rise and knew he felt the same.

"I will return to the village," Shintarou said simply. He kept his eyes turned away from Takao's face.

"Shin-chan? What are you saying? Are you trying to make Izuki sacrifice himself in vain?" Takao said, voice getting progressively louder with each question.

"They will simply send someone else once they realise this monk had failed. I am a doctor, Takao, they cannot survive without me. I should have realised that they would never let me go. I should never have strayed from my duty in the first place."

"Elder! Do something!" Takao cried beseechingly, turning to the redheaded tengu who had broken the news about Izuki to them.

The Elder – Akashi – shook his head slowly. "It is Shintarou's choice to make. If he wishes to go back, I will not bar his way."

Takao turned so that he was staring Shintarou in the eyes. "I haven't given up yet, Shin-chan. If not in this life, then the next one. I will not let you go so easily."

"I will be waiting," Shintarou said, smiling sadly. "Perhaps in our next life you will become so essential that the world would rather keep us together than apart."

"You can depend on it. I will make it happen."


End file.
